Used car sales grow as South Africans stick with familiar favourites
According to AutoTrader data, 30,971 used vehicles were sold during April 2026, an increase of 8% compared with April last year. However, sales declined by 6.6% month-on-month from the 33,164 vehicles sold in March.
The softer monthly performance comes amid fewer trading days during April, with three public holidays affecting sales activity.
Familiar brands continue to dominate
Toyota retained its position as the country’s leading used car brand, recording 5,148 sales in April. Volkswagen followed with 4,037 units, while Ford rounded out the top three with 3,061 vehicles sold.
While Toyota led overall brand sales, Ford’s Ranger remained South Africa’s most popular used vehicle, with 1,706 units sold during the month.
The Toyota Hilux followed with 1,329 sales, while the Volkswagen Polo retained third position with 1,160 units sold.
AutoTrader CEO George Mienie said buying decisions increasingly extend beyond the vehicle purchase price.
“South Africans are not only looking at the purchase price anymore. They’re looking at the full cost of ownership, from fuel and finance to maintenance and resale value,” he said.
Smaller vehicles gain ground
While bakkies and established favourites continue to dominate overall sales, some of the strongest growth came from smaller and more affordable vehicles.
The Suzuki Swift recorded year-on-year sales growth of 66.1%, with 789 units sold in April.
The Hyundai Grand i10 posted even stronger growth, rising 74.6% year on year to 557 sales.
The Toyota Corolla Cross also showed strong momentum, with sales increasing by 47.7%.
The movement towards smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles comes as motorists continue to face pressure from higher running costs.
The Toyota Fortuner, which has traditionally featured among the top-selling used models, slipped from fifth to seventh place in April.
Used car prices ease
The average price of a used vehicle sold through AutoTrader during April was R423,329.
This represented a decline from the R431,879 average recorded in March, although prices remained slightly higher than the R420,771 average recorded a year earlier.
Average mileage also continued to trend lower, falling to 71,460km from 74,739km in April 2025.
On the new vehicle side, 34,414 passenger vehicles were sold during April, according to Naamsa, representing annual growth of 14.3%, despite a month-on-month decline of 12.6%.
The Chery Tiggo 4 emerged as South Africa’s top-selling new passenger vehicle during the month, ahead of the Volkswagen Polo Vivo and Suzuki Swift.